Howdy everyone! Today we’ll make a little return to normalcy after one of the craziest weeks in this blog’s history. Seriously, every day had something unusual. Some days more than others 🙂

Monday – Arto forgets to write his post, so Amb fills in insteadTuesday – Arto then posts an Oscars update, pushing Fannie back to WednesdayWednesday – Fannie posts a delightful Ethel Merman post, and Rob decides to pre-empt himself this week, and then we post a rare “special feature” telling you to vote for HankybookThursday – Mailman returns!Friday – I had an exam (to cap off a crazy week in the non-funny-names world), and so the night before, I enlisted Amb and Liz to write this week’s FNITN. And they return with this delightful, off-the-wall recap.

I was considering posting about one of my all-time favorite loons, but decided that one can wait until my next post, so everyone has a chance to breathe 🙂 Instead, I’m posting someone with a funny name who I admire tremendously instead. I hope you enjoy. – Dave

Seriously, look at that face!

Nonito Donaire.

5’6″ tall.

122 pounds.

This face:

His hobbies include photography and anti-bullying activism, and his wife includes sitting on the beach and reading as one of her favorite things to do.

If I were to have you guess what that guy did for a living, I bet “knocking out people with his fists” would not have ranked in the top 5. (Unless you’re an astutefollower of our blog.)

But “top 5” “knocking out people with his fists” and “Nonito Donaire” have a lot in common, because he’s one of the top five pound-for-pound boxers in the world today, and he’s notable for other reasons.

Nonito is the leading voice for clean boxing, speaking out against all forms of blood doping and becoming the poster child for VADA, the voluntary anti-doping association. He is reportedly the only boxer to follow ongoing, 24/7/365 (and 366 on leap years) randomized blood testing protocol, and has now mandated that all of his opponents enroll in a similar anti-doping program in order to fight him.

The best thing: he is such a big name in the lower weight divisions that they often do. This list includes his upcoming opponent, Guillermo Rigondeaux who reluctantly agreed to the tests after weeks of contractual brinksmanship, and then posted a video of himself just before getting his blood drawn, while a member of his camp called Donaire “un rata de laboratorio” (a lab rat).

But lest anyone think Donaire is a “protected fighter” (one of the biggest insults in boxing… meaning someone who only fights tomato cans…which might be the biggest insult in boxing), he isn’t. The Filipino Flash fought four times last year, en route to the 2012 Sugar Ray Robinson Award – the Boxing Writers Association of America’s annual “fighter of the year” award.

Oh, and in case any of his opponents get caught doping anyway, Donaire has said that he’d be willing to make sure they learn the error of their ways.

“I believe that people who try to enhance themselves in that way should be punished in every way. But at the same time I’m still willing to fight, I’m a fighter. I want to fight guys who are on it because it gives me a better challenge. I’m crazy like that.” – Nonito Donaire

Alright Dave, admire me all you like… just don’t call me “cute.” Have I made myself clear?!

thanks for clearing that up, amb:-) was wondering if you had been part of the conversation, Dave, but figured that an email was as safe as any a place to drop the name. And now look what you’ve done–it’s been made Public 0-:

Glad if the test went well enough and that you’re caught up on sleep. That sleep thing is a bugger. Am always chasing it myself. Here’s to back-to-normal at BoFN, though last week was indeed Fun:-)

hadn’t realized that ending with ee/y was part of the deal, but that’s ok by me. Surely there is a random generator that will give us a list of all possibilities? thinking you should be putting your brilliance toward your school work and all the lives you will save when you are a famous surgeon. The name thing will come eventually:-)